Don't Forget to Apply to a "Safety" College - Page 5

Knve · 04-19-2008, 04:09 PM

Motherof2girls...My son fell in love with St. Mary's College of Maryland, a clear safety for him but definitely at the top of his list.

bingle · 04-19-2008, 05:41 PM

We just got back from a bunch of visits. My d's choices currently are:
1st - Carleton
2nd - Swarthmore
Tied for 3rd - Darmouth, Amherst and Wheaton (MA)
4th - Wesleyan

She'd like small (~2000), rural, residential campus, with winter.
Her SATs are 2230 (800 m, 760 w, 670cr) - she's retaking and expects to raise the CR (by actually reading the passages, LOL) Her weighted gpa is 4.5, 4.0 unweighted. No sports, no major activities to save the world - extracurriculars are leadership and awards in scouting; marching band and theater.

If numbers were all, the schools she likes would be target, but with the level of competition, Wheaton's the only one that seems to me to be actually fairly safe.

Finally to my question- where else should we look? What SAT range would be a "slam dunk"?
Thanks
Alison

mythmom · 04-19-2008, 05:51 PM

There doesn't seem to be a slam dunk until the school accepts 70% of students or is a state u that goes only by numbers. "Easier" schools rejected my kids when "harder" schools let them in. So "slam dunk" is confusing.

I can't imagine Wheaton not admitting your daughter unless they have a major attack of Tufts Syndrome.

Others: Skidmore, Mt. Holyoke, Smith
Hamilton, Colgate, Vassar.

Really good chance of acceptance at Skidmore, Mt. Holyoke and Smith. (Slam dunk? Not quite, but almost.)

Vassar, Smith, not exactly rural, but neither is Wesleyan.

Motherof2girls · 04-19-2008, 10:22 PM

I have learned that nothing is a "slam dunk" nothing is a sure thing and sadly we've known of children that did not get into any of their top schools. We're trying our best to find safe yet challenging schools.

MTlover · 04-21-2008, 01:09 PM

i want to go to college for musical theatre. and i know that is it smart to apply to a "saftey school" because it is a great possibility that i could not get in anywhere because musical theatre is such a competitive field. my question is, what "saftey schools" are there for musical theatre that I will still enjoy attending and still get great experience? its all competitive and I can't really guarentee that I will get in anywhere.

mythmom · 04-21-2008, 01:39 PM

You really need to post this on the MT forum. MT is such a specialized field that most of us just don't have the knowledge to help you. There they all the knowledge in the world, and then some.

warriorboy648 · 04-21-2008, 02:20 PM

My son's test scores (at this point) are higher than the typical GPA for his scores. (Hope that makes sense.) When choosing "safeties" should we look for schools where his GPA is higher even if his test scores might be much higher? Some of the schools that are coming up as safeties for him on the college "matchmaker" sights have higher GPA's than he does, but the SAT/ACT are lower.

CountingDown · 04-21-2008, 02:33 PM

warriorboy,
I have kids like that, too. If your S is in a program where grades may be lower because of the unusually demanding program, be sure your son's GC puts those grades into context.

My older son dealt with the GPA by a) ignoring it, b) emphasizing his sterngth of schedule and c) making sure his essays and ECs fully explained what kind of stuff he was doing on the side instead of having his nose to the grindstone. In other words, he filled out the big picture by making it clear he has spent years doing various kinds of activities for fun, and that these blossomed into significant projects and opportunities along the way. Worked well for him.

My younger S probably will not have the big awards piece, but will take the same approach -- he's been out doing really interesting and unusual stuff in addition to maintaining a decent (if not stellar) GPA in a very tough program.

Our kids are so much more than test scores and GPAs -- my feeling is that string scores indicate potential, grades reflect organization/connectedness to academics, but the ECs and essays are a much truer portrait of who they really are.

Motherof2girls · 05-03-2008, 09:19 AM

Is it best to send SAT scores to safties, reach schools or no schools at all the first time ?

tokenadult · 05-03-2008, 11:31 AM

My son has sent SAT scores (or ACT scores) to a variety of colleges when he has taken Talent Search tests.

SAT Younger than 13

USATODAY.com - SAT talent searches lead nowhere for many

I have no idea what significance that has, but I hate to waste free score reports.

tokenadult · 08-06-2008, 01:27 AM

It's time to bump up this thread again as class of 2009 high school students refine their application lists.

Kitties!!! · 08-29-2008, 02:51 PM

Hey token adult is this a balanced list?

Reach
MIT
Dartmouth (My first choice)
U.Penn (may not apply here)
Cornell

Maybe
Washington U.(not sure)
Carnegie Mellon
Rice
Vanderbilt

Safety
SUNY (I live in NYC)
WPI
Drexel

95-96 avg, URM (black West Indian), 1400 CR+M (retaking in october)

tokenadult · 08-29-2008, 03:27 PM

As long as you're sure you have a safety that you like and that will welcome you in, you're good to go and ready to apply to plenty of "reach" colleges too.

tokenadult · 03-19-2009, 08:57 AM

How did you do as seniors (class of 2009) this school year in identifying safety colleges? When did you hear about an offer of admission from your safety college?

For juniors (class of 2010 this year, and younger students growing up), remember that a safety college is one you are SURE to get into. Be sure to find one to apply to.

happymomof1 · 03-19-2009, 11:03 AM

I would take tokenadult's suggestion for safeties one step further, and recommend pinning down your "True Safety" as well. This is the place that:

1) Has to admit you based on your stats - in other words an in-state public that has published a clear set of requirements for guaranteed admissions, or an open admission in-state public community college or university.

2) You can afford to pay for without any financial aid other than federally determined financial aid. Run the FAFSA calculators to find out how much federal aid your family might be eligible for.

3) Offers at least one of the major fields that you think you are interested in, or in the case of a community college, offers the first two years of a program that leads to that major.

4) Is somewhere you can be reasonably happy if all of your other options fall through.

A "Safety" that is highly likely to admit you, and is highly likely to provide enough financial aid to make it affordable is not a True Safety. If all you have found so far are schools that you will definitely be admitted to, but that you can't pay for once federal aid is accounted for, you haven't found a True Safety. If you will be admitted, and you can pay for it, but it doesn't offer the programs that you want, or if it even meets that requirement but you are certain without any doubts whatsoever that you will absolutely hate it there, it is not a True Safety. Keep digging until you find this place. It exists.